Cargo Cult - Who is John Frum? He is known to us by many names, this Visitor from Elsewhere, dispenser of endless abundance and wielder of mysterious technologies: John Frum, Quetzalcoatl, Osiris, "Bob." His cargo is splendid, his generosity boundless, his motives beyond our understanding. But across the ages and around the world, the stories all agree: one day he will return, bearing great gifts. Our theme this year asks three related questions; who is John Frum, where is he really from, and where, on spaceship Earth, are we all going?

You know, I really hated the American Dream theme, in part because of the oppression and genocide that gets swept under the carpet by that phrase. But Cargo Cult... it makes those things much more explicit. Yes, idiots will do lots of dumb interpretations--and offensive interpretations--of "Cargo Cult". But there will also be thoughtful responses as well.

And, the truth of the world is that idiots can offend with any material.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

theCryptofishist wrote:You know, I really hated the American Dream theme, in part because of the oppression and genocide that gets swept under the carpet by that phrase. But Cargo Cult... it makes those things much more explicit. Yes, idiots will do lots of dumb interpretations--and offensive interpretations--of "Cargo Cult". But there will also be thoughtful responses as well.

And, the truth of the world is that idiots can offend with any material.

Damned if that isn't the truth.

I can think of people who managed to be horribly offensive to me through things they absolutely believed to be compliments.

The right moron can ruin anything.

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

The "controversy" or at least lively discussion makes me positive this is a good theme. It's not so abstract and bland that people say "meh" and proceed to ignore it completely. Well, fewer people are anyway.

I'm okay with the people who arrive here or first choose to speak up to voice a concern, complaint, or freakout. Assuming they're not just pulling a drive-by trolling, it shows a person who cares enough about the same event we care about to jump through the hoops of signing up for the site and then saying their peace. In a number of those cases (not all, but enough to make it worth suffering through the trolls), the people may stick around to participate in rational conversation. Maybe they've got something to say that makes us think about whatever-it-is in a different light, maybe something that's said in response helps them come to terms with what they're upset about... Either way it's a win. Some stay on as active participants on the boards, and we collectively win as the active userbase grows. All your base belong to us, and all that jazz

Or perhaps because for thousands of years, on an island paradise, they have enjoyed the sort of community that we can only manage for a week or two?They have wild pigs on the islands that they brought with them eons ago. It's our soldiers that needed the spam.

I was le kidding. Sarcasm is my second language.

"just two indecisive cowboys, trying to play a word game." - piehole"Just apply intelligence and discretion and you should be able to get away with just about anything." - Ugly Dougly

Foxfur wrote:Chief Kahuwya says. “He said we should throw away their money and clothes, take our children from their schools, stop going to church and go back to living as kastom people. We should drink kava, worship the magic stones and perform our ritual dances.”

Thanks for digging this up, Foxy. I suppose we are going to see a lot of "kastom" this year. Couldn't hurt.